RescueTime Review

PROS: The data RescueTime offers are very detailed and are useful in making me more effective and productive at work.

CONS: The only comment I have is that there is a section of the interface that becomes slow to respond when I try to re-categorize URLs.

PROS: RescueTime offers in-depth information as to how I spend my time on the computer. It helps me track my activities so that I can change my habits and become a better businessman.

CONS: The interface design for the free version is very minimalist. I like it though it would be advantageous if I could see my dashboard as soon as I open the software.

PROS: It shows you how you spend your time on your computer and even your phone by tracking your activities throughout the day.

CONS: It cannot tell whether you are working on productive email tasks or non-work or non-study emails.

PROS: Even though it runs in the background, it is accurate in tracking the time I spend on websites and in identifying them. I can even set it to assist me in tracking my productivity so I can reduce my time waste. I also like that it lets me categorize sites and apps so that I can be flexible with my usage of apps.

CONS: It is not integrated with offline or off-computer activities.

PROS: If not for RescueTime, I would still be working on my dissertation. I love that it works very hard in the background and even gives me the option to track what I do off the computer, even if I have to input those activities manually. Best of all, the paid subscription blocks apps and websites that are not useful for productivity.

CONS: I did some of my research on social media because of the nature of my study. Since I set RescueTime to block those sites, I had to unblock them each time I needed to work with them. And when I did, the time I spent researching on social platforms was categorized as unproductive.

PROS: RescueTime is very discreet but it keeps tabs on your computer activities during work hours. Because of it, you can be productive and meet your set goals for the day.

CONS: The user interface is a bit old. An update would be nice.

PROS: RescueTime generates detailed reports of how I spent my day on the computer and what sites and apps took most of my time.

CONS: Configuring the categories took a lot of time at first but after that everything was a breeze.

PROS: If you have bad computer habits, RescueTime can help keep you in check.

CONS: It's okay that it runs in the background but it takes up too much of my computing resources. There are also times when it does not tell me anything about the websites I visit. It would also be great if it can tell the difference between my email tab and my work email tab.

PROS: I can see every day or every week how I've spent my working time on the laptop. It's also useful that it sends summaries to my email at the end of the work week.

CONS: I do not like how it categorizes some business-related websites like LinkedIn as social media and is therefore unproductive.

PROS: Despite using the free version, I can take advantage of the intelligent features of the Chrome extension to read and categorize the sites I'm visiting and the apps I'm using. It is also helpful that it can tell when I am using another program like Word.

CONS: It would be awesome if they offer the function to set time limits for website usage for the free version.

PROS: There are numerous reports available and a wide array of options for customizing them such as data filters, which make it easier to find the right metric. It also helps that it lets users create custom categories of activities. It's very accurate too and it can even track the documents the user has been editing.

CONS: It would be amazing if RescueTime has a mobile app for iOS, too and integrate with Apple's Screen Time.

PROS: The best thing about it is that it works in the background silently and does not disturb my tasks. And even when it requires an update, it requires minimal interaction. Plus, I like that it sends me weekly emails about my activities.

CONS: I use the free version. I appreciate it. The paid version has more functionalities that I like though, such as historical reports.

PROS: RescueTime keeps me productive during work hours so I can finish a lot of tasks within the day. Because of it, I know how much time I spend on certain things.

CONS: It is not much of a disappointment rather than a suggestion but it would be great if RescueTime would recognize business websites as productive.

PROS: RescueTime can tell my entire workday on a chart and be specific whether it's emails, websites, and apps. It is helpful that it can also track my phone usage with its Android app. It doesn't even cost a lot to help you become more productive.

CONS: There is nothing I do not like about RescueTime.

PROS: RescueTime is user-friendly from installation to use. Once you have subscribed, it starts monitoring your computer activities immediately. At the end of the day, it gives you a breakdown of your computer activities so that you can optimize your work time.

CONS: When I receive my reports in the email, I still have to enter my user info. Other than that, there is nothing I do not like about RescueTime.

PROS: RescueTime has been in my productivity toolbox for several years now. It is a silent worker while it keeps me accountable for how I use my time throughout the day. It also helps in organizing my activities such as the websites I view and the apps I use. It is so user-friendly that I can modify details on the reports when I need to.

CONS: There are situations when RescueTime categorizes websites differently. This happens when I don't use the site often but as time passes by the categorization works well.

PROS: The paid version lets me drill down to the sections or pages of a website that I visit. It even lets me categorize whether the websites are beneficial to work or not or neutral.

CONS: It is a problem when some websites like Facebook can be either a time-waster or a productive activity because of its business aspect.